Judge questions process of filing charges in sentencing pill addict

NEWARK - Judge David Branstool was not happy Wednesday morning when he was asked to amend the indictment against 47-year-old Yasin Abdul-Mujib.

"Virtually every case now has a motion to amend or dismiss," he said. "I'm starting to wonder about the process to bring these charges in the first place."

Abdul-Mujib, of Columbus, was entering a guilty plea to an amended count of third-degree felony aggravated possession of drugs before Branstool.

Charges of aggravated trafficking in drugs and trafficking in heroin were being dismissed and a charge of engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity was being amended in the motion filed by Assistant Prosecutor Cliff Murphy.

Murphy and Abdul-Mujib's attorney, Kort Gatterdam, said the plea agreement was the result of further investigation that indicated Abdul-Mujib was a purchaser of Oxycodone and not a dealer of it.

Abdul-Mujib also agreed to testify against a codefendant in the case who was his supplier as part of the deal. If he does not cooperate with that testimony, the charges which were dismissed could be brought back, Murphy said.

Between June and October 2017, Abdul-Mujib purchased multiple quantities of Oxycodone pills from a person in Etna, Murphy said.

Gatterdam said the purchases were made to fuel Abdul-Mujib's drug habit, which began after being prescribed pain medication following a car crash several years ago.

Since being charged, Abdul-Mujib has been working on his sobriety and has engaged in multiple programs to try and get his life back on track, Gatterdam said.

"He can't change his past, but he is very serious about changing his future," he said.

Abdul-Mujib thanked Branstool for his time in jail prior to being released on bond, which he said provided him with an opportunity to kick his addiction.

Branstool said despite Abdul-Mujib's efforts while on bond, he could not overcome a presumption for a prison sentence that comes with the charge he plead guilty to. Branstool cited Abdul-Mujib's past record, which included a more than four-year federal prison sentence.

He ordered Abdul-Mujib to spend two years in prison.

"Just because I have to send you to prison, it doesn't mean you should give up this treatment," Branstool told Abdul-Mujib.